Beautiful, serene, tranquil and very pleasing.

Guests had nothing but these words to say of this weekend's Japanese tea ceremony lecture and presentation.

The ceremony, which focused on the Japanese pottery and ceramic tradition, was hosted by R&T's Creative Oasis, 133 E. Beaver Ave., and run by Drew Hanson.

Hanson first became interested in Japanese ceramics while working as a gardener.

Eventually he decided to have a teahouse in his garden in Columbus, N.J. He knew nothing about the tea ceremony, so he began to take classes at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. He has been taking classes for five years now, and is in the third level of instruction.

His teahouse is now open to the public by appointment.

This was Hanson's third visit to Creative Oasis. He graduated from Penn State in 1978 with a doctorate in American literature.

"It is a very spiritual experience, not really religious. It makes you feel good," Hanson said. "When looking in the bowl and the green tea, it is very aesthetic, a beautiful experience."

"If you are an anal-retentive person, a tea ceremony is a dream," he said, also commenting on how precise the ceremony is.

The group of about 20 people gathered around the back corner of the Creative Oasis to watch the tea ceremony. There are two seasons of the tea ceremony, summer and winter, and both are held differently. Even though it is the winter season, Hanson decided to hold the summer ceremony.

For this ceremony, Hanson prepared thin tea, or Usucha, which is a very green tea. There is also thick tea, which Hanson described as having the consistency of green latex paint.

"The thin tea is more casual, and more palatable for people to drink," he said.

On the floor were four-and-a-half tatami mats held together by black tape. The kettle and brazier, which is a black pot on which the kettle is placed, was in the far right corner of the mats, as far away from the guests as possible, which is where they are placed in a traditional summer ceremony so guests do not become overheated.

In the brazier itself is a bed of ash, which Hanson spent an hour-and-a-half sculpting. Ash is sacred and precious, and is saved, washed and dried. He sculpted it into the symbol for water.

"You always put fire on top of water," said Hanson. "There's a whole yin-yang thing involved here."

The charcoal is placed on the ash and the ash bed is destroyed. The charcoal is black and white, another aspect of the yin-yang. Hanson periodically dusted the brazier with a feather, explaining that it is often dusted so combustible material does not fall into the fire because there is no smoke in the ceremony. Pieces of incense are also placed into the brazier.

Flowers are placed in the room, but have no smell. Also, none of the guests must wear perfume or cologne because the only smell should be the incense, he explained.

In a traditional tea room, the door is only a few feet high. Shoes are removed, and you must bow before you enter. This, Hanson explained, was because everyone is in equal rank in the tea room. Bowing is a sign of respect, and there are many times when you bow within the ceremony.

The first guest is in charge of the tea room. The host, who does all the work and does not drink tea unless the first guest asks him to, invites the first guest and that guest invites their own guests. Everything is done in honor of the first guest. Also, there is never an even number of guests, especially the number four.

"Four to the Japanese is like 13 to us," Hanson said.

The ceremony itself is very ritualistic. One would bow to enter the tea room, remove their shoes and only cross the black lines with their right foot. As they exit, they cross the lines with their left foot. An entire ceremony can last about four hours, and can include both food and tea.

As the host prepares the Usucha, the guest eats a sweet that has been placed in front of them. This is because the sweet and the tea will combine to taste good in your mouth, he explained. The host whips the tea in the tea bowl, then turns the bowl two quarter turns clockwise, take it in his right hand, and places it on the tatami mat.

Using their right hand, the first guest brings it to themselves, places the bowl in between themselves and the person next to them and bows, excusing themselves for going before the next person. Then the guest bows and thanks the host for making the tea. The tea bowl is picked up with the right hand, placed on the left palm, and turned two quarter turns clockwise again. The guest raises the bowl in thanks, and drink three to four sips, slurping the last in appreciation of the tea.

Using their thumb and forefinger, the guest wipes off the bowl, then turns it two quarter turns counterclockwise. Placing the bowl outside the black line, they admire the bowl. Bringing the bowl back to the host, they turn it once more counterclockwise.

All the guests agreed the tea tasted "green."

"It reminds me of asparagus. Its like a fresh vegetable," said Diane Neumann of State College. This was her first tea ceremony. "The tea was mild, a sea taste."

Most guests commented on how polite the ceremony was, citing how many times you bow, say thank you or excuse yourself.

"It's a different was of thinking, I appreciate it," said David Hartnett of Pine Grove Mills.

Janice Bigelow of State College agrees.

"It's not how we are used to appreciating each other."

Jerry Neumann, owner of Creative Oasis, enjoys Hanson's visits.

"I find it a worthwhile as a cultural situation. I tend to invite a lot of people but only a handful show, but the few are very interested," Neumann said. "We hope other people from the education side will support it so we can continue to do this. We want to keep this going," he said.

The Creative Oasis is bringing in other professional artists starting in March.

More information is available on their Web site (www.thecreativeoasis.com).